Below is my understanding - if incorrect please correct me.
Gas engines run rich when they're cold, which can lead to fuel contamination/dilution of the oil. This is why its recommended to drive a gas car gently to warm it up instead of letting it idle; warms up quicker, produces fewer emissions, and less oil washing of cylinder walls and fuel contamination in the oil.
It's also important to get the oil in a gas car HOT on a regular basis to make sure to evaporate fuel and moisture contamination out of the oil, which can be a challenge in cold climates and where shorter trips are typical.
Diesel engines always run lean, even on cold starts, because they have no catalytic converter to warm up. Does this mean fuel dilution with diesel engines is less of a problem (cold starts/idling) than with gas engines, and is getting the oil hot to burn off contaminants is less crucial? I understand that there can still be moisture contamination in the oil, but is it any more or less of an issue than with a gas engine?
Because a gas engine runs rich when cold, and in winter the engine spends more time running cold than in summer, is the winter impact on a diesel's fuel efficiency expected to be less than that of a gas car?
Gas engines run rich when they're cold, which can lead to fuel contamination/dilution of the oil. This is why its recommended to drive a gas car gently to warm it up instead of letting it idle; warms up quicker, produces fewer emissions, and less oil washing of cylinder walls and fuel contamination in the oil.
It's also important to get the oil in a gas car HOT on a regular basis to make sure to evaporate fuel and moisture contamination out of the oil, which can be a challenge in cold climates and where shorter trips are typical.
Diesel engines always run lean, even on cold starts, because they have no catalytic converter to warm up. Does this mean fuel dilution with diesel engines is less of a problem (cold starts/idling) than with gas engines, and is getting the oil hot to burn off contaminants is less crucial? I understand that there can still be moisture contamination in the oil, but is it any more or less of an issue than with a gas engine?
Because a gas engine runs rich when cold, and in winter the engine spends more time running cold than in summer, is the winter impact on a diesel's fuel efficiency expected to be less than that of a gas car?